Set design for the ballet Le Tricorne

Set design for the ballet Le Tricorne by Pablo Picasso is a sophisticated example of the artist’s involvement in theatrical production during the interwar period. Created in 1920, this work is technically a collotype and pochoir, extracted from a portfolio containing thirty-two collotypes, thirty-one of which included pochoir coloring. Due to its format, the work is formally classified by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as an Illustrated Book. This print reproduces the scenic vision that defined the celebrated Spanish ballet, which had premiered two years prior in 1919 with music by Manuel de Falla and choreography by Léonide Massine.

Picasso served as both the stage and costume designer for the influential production, which was a collaboration with Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. The source material, an 18th-century novel by Pedro de Alarcón titled El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat), allowed the Spanish artist to incorporate elements rooted deeply in his cultural heritage. This 1920 edition provided wider circulation for the stage designs, ensuring that the visual elements were preserved and studied beyond the ephemeral nature of the live performance.

In contrast to the fragmented complexity of his earlier Cubist work, the design for Le Tricorne exhibits a bold clarity and defined realism, adhering to the Neoclassical turn that characterized much of Picasso’s output during the 1920s. This deliberate clarity was necessary for stage settings viewed by large audiences. The collotype foundation provided precise photographic reproduction of the design, while the subsequent pochoir application ensured the vibrant, uniform color required to capture the intensity of the theater lights.

As a crucial archival document of the intersection between modern art and performance design, the piece demonstrates Picasso’s mastery across different media. These prints allow historians and collectors access to the original stage designs, preserving the visual legacy of one of the 20th century’s most important collaborative ballets. The work resides within MoMA's vast collection, confirming its status as a cornerstone of modern graphic and theatrical design. Images of these important 1920 stage representations eventually become available to the public domain, ensuring wide academic access.